Bowling pin holding apparatus



Sept. 23, 1952 G. J. SCHMIDT BOWLING PIN HOLDING APPARATUS 2 SHEETS-Sl-IEET 1 Filed Sept. 15, 1947 FIG. 2

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Sept. 23, 52 G. J. SCHMIDT 2,611,613

BOWLING PIN HOLDING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 15, 1947 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR GOTTFRIED J. SCHMIDT.

A'I'I'ORNEY Patented Sept. 23, 1952 Gottfried J. Schmidt, Pearl Riveig N. Y., assignor toAme'rican Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application September 13, 19517, Serial No. 773,851

. 1'7 Claims.

This invention relates to bowling pin handling machines and more particularly to improvements in' devices'for engaging, gripping, and releasing bowling pins.

I My invention is especially Well adapted for use with a machine of the general type shown'in my U. S. Patent 2,217,709, granted October'l5, 1940, wherein a frame, which travels toward and'away from the bed of a bowling alley is employed to carryjbowling pin gripping devices. These pin gripping devices are constructed and arranged to grip standing bowling pins .overwhich they have been centered due to the lowering of the frame. The gripped pins are then elevated by raising the frame to permit the fallen pins and bowling ball to be swept from the alley. The gripped pins are then lowered and replaced on the'alley in the same position they occupied beforebeing elevated. p

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved light weight freely shiftable mechanical bowling pin gripping device.

Another object of my invention is to provide a light weight freely slidable pin gripping device which will have mechanical grippers that can maintaina holding grip on a pin without external assistance. y

Another object of my invention is'to provide a bowling pin gripping device which will have a toggle effect when the pin is held in gripped position so asto increase the gripping action indirect proportion to the weight of the gripped pin.

A further objectis to provide a pin gripping device which will have the advantage that there will be no fluid or electrical connections between the supporting table and the gripping device.

Another object of my inventionis to provide a bowling pin gripping device which will be lockedv against releasing a gripped pin when it is held in an elevated position above the alley.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention. progresses. In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, like charactersof reference have been applied to corresponding parts throughout the several views which make up the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved pin gripper with portions broken away to show the pin gripping mechanism.

Fig; 2 is a front elevation of the improved bowling pingripper taken on theline 22 of Fig; 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional front elevationof the'pin ripper'suppo'rting table in conjunction with the actuating mechanism for the pin grippers! l Fig. 4 is a plan view 'of the pin grippe'r'support ing table in conjunction with a schematic wiring diagram of means for actuating the pin gripper mechanism. v My invention consists of a pluralityof similarly constructed pin gripping devices equal in number to the number of bowling] pins used in a' game of bowling For purposes of illustration, 'I hav'e" shown this number to be tenin the present' dis-ff closure. v To illustratean embodiment of my invention I have shown one of these pin gripping devices in Figs. 1 and 2 which consists ofa cone or camm-ing skirt l0 and a pin receiving chamber [21 A tapered centering cu'p l4-' is mounted for 'free up and down movement in this chamber and is secured to a cover plate lfi'bysuitable means such as by'a rivet 18. The cover plate 'lBhas' three holes formed therein through which pins or studs 20' pass. The upward sliding movement of cover plate I6 is limited by heads 22 formed on the pins 20. The pins 2ll'are slidably mounted insuitable holes formed in flangefl of chamber 12' andpass through e1ongated-slots"26 formed in the pivoted pin hinge plates28 and. also through holes formed in hinge supporting brackets '30 and when pinszn are' depressed,through holes 32fo'rmed in'the upper portion of'c'one II].

A collar'34 is fixedly' mounted on each'of the pins 2;!) and'j'limits the-extent to which the pins 20 can-inove -upwardly by engaging'with the underside of'flange' 24 asshown in Fig. 2.- 'On the lower end of eacli stud -2 ll*is loosely mounted. a sliding collar 35 against which spring 38 exerts downward pressure? The hinge plate 29 "of eachhingeis adjustably secured at one side" to the bracket sob-y suitable screws 40. The other hinge plate 28 of each hinge has attachedto it a suit able friction'element fljsuch as leather or rubber which e a dire ly ith h i er ar of thebowling'pin handle "P; The brackets .30 are attached to the chamber [2 such as screws 42.

The hingeplates. Ill and 29 The cone shaped members ID are slidably supported on a bottom plate 44 and are positionedover holes d6 formed therein which correspond wlin :Pi bowl n a y: i---; r

by t mea s are pivotally con; nected by 'apin 33. A torsion spring 2! is mount; ed on..the pin 33 of each hinge to exert an up ward spring tension pressure onhingeplates 28..

The bottom plate 45 has four upwardly extending tubes 45 fixedly mounted near each corner of the bottom plate 44. Each tube 45 has a flange 52 formed at its upper end and is slidably mounted on a corresponding rod 48 which extends downwardly from the upper supportin plate 50.

The tubesASare-pushed upwardly-onthe rods '48 by means of four bell crank levers 58 which have forked arms 54 which engage with the flanges 52. The lower end of each tube 45 has an air hole 41 which allows air toentenandescape from the tube 45 as the tube 45 travels up and down on the rod48.

The bell crank levers 56 arefpivotally mounted on supporting brackets 58 which are carried on: the underside of the supporting. plate 59 (Figs. 3.

and 4. Also connected to th supporting plate 50 are four solenoids 5!! which actuate thebell'j crank levers 58 when energized to decrease the distance between plates Ml and.50. A downward pressure-is-exerted on the tubes 45 by means of springs-43 to lower'the bottom plate 44 when thesolenoids 60 are deenergized. p

7 Each .of the brackets 58 carrystuds 62 against which thebell crank lever arms 56- engage thereby limiting the extent of downward movementof the bottom plate 44. Attached to the top side of upper-supporting plate 50 are-supporting brackets M which have extending therefrom studs 66. Thesuds 66 'areipivotally mounted in guide shoes 68 which slide-up and down in the guide channels 10. The guide shoes 68 are lowered and raised in a: mannersimilar to that shownin U. S. Patent2;283,613 issued to me on May 19, 1942, by means-of cables 12.

An electrical control cam 14 is provided to openand closea switchr'lB which energizesand deenergizes' thesolenoids 60 through. wires 11 and 79. mounted onshaft'lfi. Driving motion is imparted to :thesprocketall by means of chain 82 which is driven .in proper-timed relation with the operation'of a pin'setting machine'such as that shown in' U. S; Patent'2,298,-'118.issued to P. M. Neiedly on October. 13, 1942.

Theoperation of my inventionmay be briefly described: as follows:

After a bowling player has thrown his first ballthe pin gripper supporting plates 44 and 50- are lowered-towards the-bowling alley by'means ofzcables 12.. The headsof any standing pins which: remain standing on the'alley after the throwing of the first ball will pass: through the circular openings of the bottom plate 44-. In passing through such circular openings 46 the heads of:standing pins P- engage with thesides of'the respective cones'lll slidably supported over The various cones are thereby each hole M-i. caused to shift laterally due to acamming action between the tapered camming skirt and the head of. the bowling pin, until each has been centered overits respective standing pin. I

When the cones have been approximately centered in the manner described, the continued downward movement of the platform or upper supporting plate 58 moves the chambers l2 relative to the tapered centering cups l4 andcover plates 16. The engagement of the pins with. the cups' l4 results in' further centering of the cones" Ill over the heads of the pins P; The relativemovement between the centering cups l4 and the cones l0 allows for small-differences in the length of bowling pins being used on the alley; I

When the platform 50 has reached'its lower- Cam 14 and sprocket 80 are fixedly most point of travel, switch 16 is actuated by the cam id to energize the solenoids 69. When the solenoids 60 are energized they pull in their respective plungers 84 thereby actuating the bell crank levers 56. The forked ends 55 of bell crank levers 53 engag the flanges 52 of tubes 45 thereby causingthe lower plate Mto. be raised up wardly with respect toplate 56. This, upward movement of the bottom plate 44 causes the button heads 22 to engage with the bottom of the platform 50. Continued upward movement of the plate 44 causes it to raise the cones l0 and chambers i 2 relative to the-centering cups l4 and pins 26. This relative movement causes the compression. springs36 to be compressed as shown in Fig. 3.

The rods or studs extend downwardly through slotted openings 26, 32 and those formed in flange 24. The downward pressure exerted by the spring 38 on the sliding collar 36 causes the hinged gripping member 28 to descend until .it engages with the handle ofthe bowling pin P. It will thus be seen that the cone is clamped be.-

' tweenthe bottom plate 44 and top plate 50 thereby causing the pin gripping members to be locked in gripping relationship.

The pin grippers are spaced from one another as shown in Figs. 1 and a so that when the table platform 50 is raised upwardly by means of cables 72, a toggle joint gripping action will be. eiiected on the head of;the bowling pin. The operativeposition of the grippers is such that the weight of the bowling pin.P tends to move the grippers closer to ether, dueto this toggle joint action and thereby increase the gripping action of. the pin grippers 28 against the sides. of the. bowling pin handle P.

It will therefore be evident that I have pro-. vided a device for engaging, gripping, elevating and replacing bowling pins'on a bowling alley which is not only lightly constructed. but which eiiects a strong positive rip on the pins being lifted.

When the bowling pins are thus gripped. and held in elevated position suitable sweeping mechanism such as shown in U. S. Patent 2,250,503, issued to R. E. Rundellon July 29, 1941, is employed for removing fallen bowling pins and the bowlin ball from the bed of the bowling alley. After this sweeping operation has been completed cables I2 lower the platform 50 towards the alley. When the cables 12 have reached their lowermost point of travel, so that the bottoms of the gripped pins are touching the alley, the switch 76, is opened due to the rotation ofcam '14 thereby. deenergizing the solenoids 6!]. When the solenoids 68 are deenergized the flanges 52 under the downward'pressure exerted by springs 49, are pushed downward thereby causing the lower plate is. to descend out of en agement with the cones. iii. The bell crank levers 56 come to rest against'the pins 62 when the lower plate 34 has reached its lowermost point of travel and thereby limit the plate 44 from further downward movement.

As the bottom plate 14 is lowered it allows the springs 38 to expand pushing the cones l0 and chambers 42 downwardly. This in turn allows the hinge plates 28 carrying the pin gripping elements 3! to pivot upwardly under the action of springs 21 out of engagement with the bowling pins P. The tapered centering cups 1 4 and plates I6 will then be supporting'the cones l0 and eham bers l2 on the heads of the standing bowling.

pins.

Asthe top platform .50 isv raised'by cables 12, theibottom platform: 44 engages withthecones l0 resting'on the standing bowling mm P. The: continued upward movement of the table platforms Hand 44 raises the released pin gripping devices out of engagement with the standing bowling pins which will be left standingon the alley in exactly the same position they occupied before being lifted above the alley. Further upward movement of the platform 50 by means of cables 12 raises the lower platform 44 above the heads of thestanding bowling pins. I

The :invention above described may be varied in construction within the scope of .the claims, for theiparticulardevice selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

What is claimed is:

'1. Apparatus for handling bowling pins comprising a platform movable towards and away from the bed of a-bowling alley, said platform having a plurality of openings through which the heads and handlesof standing bowling pins may pass, a planar member spaced above and extending across said platform, a plurality of shiftable members mounted abovesaid openings for centering-bowling pin grippers above a'bowling pin, pivoted bowling pin grippers connected to said shiftable members for gripping the handles of standing bowling pins, projections extending upwardly from said pivoted grippers, mechanism for changing the distance between said planar member and platform to cause said projections to engage-with said planar member to move said grippers into-and out of gripping relationship.

2. Apparatus for handling bowling pins comprising a support, pin contacting members mounted; for free horizontal movement on said support, spaced opposed pivoted pin holding plates mounted on each ,of of said members, the pivots of the plates mounted on each memberbeing so spaced that when the plates engage with a pin they are slightly inclined at an upward angle from the pivot to the portion of the plate which contacts the pin to provide a toggle joint gripping actionon each bowling pin, meansfor bringing said f'pla tes into pingripping relationship with the necks of standing. bowling pins, and means for releasing said plates from pin gripping engagement with standing bowling pins.

3.'Apparatus for gripping, lifting and replacing bowling pin on a bowling alley, comprisinga platform support, mechanism for moving said platform-support over a predetermined path of travel, members mounted for free horizontal movement onsaid platform support, said members having inclined pin contacting surfaces for centering said members over pins with which they are brought into engagement, acentering cup connected with each of said members for free vertical movement relative to said members when brought into engagement with the head of a bowling pin, pivoted, pin gripper arms mounted in the upper endofsaid members for gripping the neclzs of bowling pins," said gripper arms being of a length andupward-inclination such that the arms-will have a toggle joint action when in engagement with the neck of abowling pin and weighted thereby; gripper actuating elements extending from each of said grippers, a secondsup: porting platform spaced from and mounted;

parallel-to said first named supporting platform;

and mechanism for moving one of said platforms members mounted above each; of said openings,"

pivoted mechanical pin gripping devices mounted on top of each cone for engaging and gripping the handles of standing bowling pins, members extending upwardly from said cones for moving said grippers into pin gripping relationship each time said members are depressed, a common plate for. engaging simultaneously. with all. of: saidmembers to control the actuation of said grippersjmechanism for raising and lowering said platform to lift and replace bowling pins on the bowling alley, and means .for. effecting relative movement between. the plate and said members for depressing said members. J

5. Apparatus for respotting standing bowling pins on a bowling alley comprising, a pair. of spaced supportingplates, mechanism for moving said spaced supporting plates towards and away from the bed of a bowling alley to grip, elevate and replace standing'bowling pins on a bowling alley, a plurality of cone-shaped freely shiftable pin gripping devices supported on the lower supporting plate, pivoted pin grippers mounted on each-of said devices, upwardly extending members mounted on said devices which are constructed and arranged to move said grippers into gripping relationship each time saidmembers are depressed, and mechanism for changing the distance between said supporting plates to bring the upper plate and said members into contact with each other to depress said members to lock said pin grippers about the necks of standing bowling pins.

6. Apparatus for engaging, gripping, lifting and replacing standing bowling pins on a bowling aley comprising, a support, a plate connected'to and spaced from said support,said plate having a plurality of openings corresponding to the number of pins used in a game of bowling, a plurality of freely shiftable cones supported on" said plate over each of said openings; a chamber having pin grippers located at the upper end of said cones, members projecting from said pin grippers for actuating said grippers to engage with standing bowling pins eachtime they are depressed, mechanism'for lowering said support and plate to'bring the cones into engagement with the standing bowling pins and thereby center each cone over the respective standing pins with which they engage, mechanism for changing the distance between said plate and said support after the cones have been centered overthe standing bowling pins to bring the members and the support into contact to' depress said members to lock said grippers about the standing bowling pins, and-mechanism for returning said plate and said support to the original spaced relation ship to release said pin grippers after the standing bowling pins have been replaced on the bowling alley. I

7. Apparatus for gripping, lifting and'r'e placing;stan'ding bowling pins on a bowling alley comprising a support, a plurality of cone-shaped members slidably positioned on said supp rt and having -pin engaging surfaces for centering each cone over a standing pin with which it engages, hingedmembers having elongated pin contactingosurface-szmoirhted:,onxsaid cones "for gripping bowling ins; projecting elements extending from said hinged memberszto move said hinged members T into and out i of engagement with :bowling pins; a planar member: adapted to engage all of said projecting elements. of all of the cones simultaneouslyior controlling the pin gripping movementof said hinged members, means for loweringsaid support .to center the pin grippers off each cone-shaped member over standing bowling pins, then lifting said support and grippedipins' above the bowling alley to permit fallen pin'sitobe removed from the bowling alley, andithenlowering said support again to replace said-gripped pins on the bowling alley, andmechanism for moving said elements into'and out of engagement withrsaid planar member to cause saidpingrippers to bemoved into and out of engagement' with said. standing bowling pins.

8. Apparatus for gripping bowling'pinsxcomprising, freely shiitable cone-shaped members, a common support for said. cone-shaped members; hinged membersmounted on said cone-shaped members and soispa'ced from each other on each cone and positioned at such an angle as to efiect a toggle joint action therebetween when engagingwith the handle of a bowling pin and subjected to the downward force exerted by the pin when it is lifted by said hinged members to increase the grippingforce exerted by said hinged members, spring actuated'means for normally maintaining said hinged pin gripping members out of engagement with standing bowling pins, members extending upwardly from said pin en-' gaging members for bringing said pin engaging members into bowling pin gripping position, and a device for engaging and disengaging said upwardly extending members simultaneously at predetermined times to efiect movement of said members and thereby bring said pin engaging members into and out of engagement with standing bowling pins.

9. Apparatus for gripping bowling pins comprising, freely shiftable cone-shaped members, a common support for said cone-shaped members, hinged members mounted on each cone-shaped member and so spaced from each other and positioned at such an angle as to effect an action therebetween when engaging with the handle of a bowling pin similar to a toggle joint whereby the pressure at the hinged joints increases as the pin exerts downward pressure at the area where said members contact said pins, spring actuated means for normally maintaining said hinged pin gripping members out of engagement with standing bowling pins, members extending from said pin engaging members for bringing said pin engaging members into bowling pin gripping position, and mechanism for depressing the members extending from said pin engaging membersto move said pin engaging members into pin gripping position.

10. Apparatus for handling bowling pins comprising, a plate movableitoward and away from the bed of a bowling alley for lifting gripped bowling pins above the bowling alley, a plurality of'freely shiftable pin gripping devices supported on said plate, camming members for centering said'pin gripping devices over standing bowling pins, pivoted membersmounted in said devices and so spaced from each other and mounted at such an angle as to result in a toggle joint gripping force being exerted on a standing bowling pin by the downward pressure exerted by a gripped and lifted pin, mechanism for moving saidipivoted-members into pin engaging position, and spring tension means fonreleasingsaid p1v' oted. members-from gripping action with the handle of a standing bowling pin, 7

11.. Apparatus for handling bowling pins comprising, a support, mechanism for moving said support towards andiaway from the bed of a bowlingalley on which bowling pins'are standing, pivoted pin gripping members associated with said support, the pivots of said members being spaced equidistantly from a commoncenter and the spacing ofvsaid pivots and the length of said pivoted members being such that the pivoted members will decline toward their pivots when'in engagement with a pinto thereby effect a toggle gripping action on thezbowling pinwheu subjected tolthe weight'thereof. l

12. Apparatus for handling standing, bowling pins comprising, devices having pin gripping members, a pair of spaced, connected platesior supporting said pin g-rippingmembers, apparatus for changing the distance between said plates, a plurality of openings formed in the lowermost plate'through which the heads of standing bowling pins may pass and come in contact with said devices, mechanism for moving said plates towardsand away from the bed of a bowling alley, members projecting from said pin gripping members for moving said grippersinto pin gripping relation, said members projecting a distance sufficient to be engaged and moved by the uppermost plate when the distance between said plat-es is changed to bring said pin grippers into pin gripping relation, and means for moving said. grippers out ofgripping relationship.

13. Apparatus for handling standing bowling pins comprising, a frame having openings corresponding to the positions on a bowling alley on which bowlingpins are spotted, apparatus for. moving said frame towards and away from the bed of a bowling alley to allow the heads. of standing bowling pins to pass through said openings, a plurality of freely slidable members having tapered walls positioned over each of said openings for engaging with the heads of standing bowling pins passing through said openings to approximately center said members over the standing pins, a centering device associated with the converging ends of said tapered walls for centering each of said members with respect to standing bowling pins, each of said centering devices having a predeterminedfre vertical movement relative to the slidable members, spaced pin engaging members for engaging at one end with the handle of a bowling pin, a pivotsupport for the other end of each of said pin engaging members, said pivot supports being so spaced andthe membersbeing of such length that when the members engage withthe pin they are slightly upwardly inclined from their pivots to the point of contact with a bowling pin and the downward force exerted by the pin on the members will tend to move all of said pin engaging members into straight line arrangement and thereby in crease the gripping force exerted 0n the pin, and mechanism for holding said slidable members fixed when said pin engaging members are in engagement with a standing bowling pin to positively hold said gripped bowling pin. againstmlative movement with respect tosaid frame.

14. Apparatus for handling standing bowlingpins comprising, a support, a frame carried by said support and having a plurality of openings for moving said support towards the bed of a. bowling alley to allow the heads of standing bowling pins to pass through the openings formed in said frame, a plurality of freely slidable pin gripping devices mounted on said frame and sup port, tapered camming skirts associated with ach of said pin gripper devices for engaging with the heads of standing bowling pins passing throughsaid openings to slide a pin gripper device towards each standing bowling pin passing through said openings, a freely vertically reciprocable centering member associated with each of said pin gripper devices for centering the gripper device with respect to a standing bowling pin without raisingthe pin gripper device off the support, pivoted pin gripping members associated with said devices for engaging and gripping bowling pins, and pivot supports for each of said pin gripping members, said pivot supports being so spaced and the length of said pivoted members being such as to caus the members to incline downwardly toward the pivots when in engage: ment with the pin whereby the force exerted by the weight of the pin on the grippers is applied to the pin by means of a toggle action to eiTect a tighter grip on the pin.

15. Apparatus for handling standing bowling pins comprising, a support, pin gripping devices slidably mounted on and above said support, camming elements associated with said pin gripping devices for moving said pin gripping devices over the head of a standing bowling pin, a center cup freely movable vertically with each of said pin gripper devices to center the same with respect to a standing bowling pin while maintaining said pin gripping device free from elevation above said support by standing bowling pins, said pin gripper devices being constructed and arranged to grip when a downward forc is exerted thereon by a bowling pin, and to release when the bowling pin is lifted upwardly, members extending upwardly from said pin gripping devices for moving said grippers into pin gripping relationship each time said members are depressed, a common plate for engaging simultaneously with all of said members to control the actuation of said grippers, mechanism for raising and lowering said platform to lift and replace bowling pins on the bowling alley, and means for effecting relative movement between the plate and said members for depressing said members.

16. Apparatus for handling standing bowling pins comprising, a platform having openings formed therein corresponding to the positions on a bowling alley on which bowling pins are spotted, pin gripping devices positioned over said openings, camming members associated with each of said pin gripping devices for moving a pin gripping device towards the head of each standing bowling pin, apparatus for moving said platform towards a bowling alley to bring said camming members into contact with the heads of standing bowling pins, a loosely mounted centering device associated with said pin gripping devices for centering the devices with respect to said standing bowling pins without raising said gripping devices above said openings and to hold said bowling pins in position when engaged by said pin grippers, individual pin gripping fingers pivotally mounted at one end and spaced from each other a distance which will cause the opposite ends to support the weight of a pin by eifecting a toggle joint hold on the pin, members extending upwardly from said pin gripping devices for moving said grippers into pin gripping relationship each timesaid members are depressed, a common plate for engaging simultaneously with all of said members to control the actuation of said grippers, mechanism for raising and lower ing said platform to lift and replace bowling pins on the bowling alley, and means for effecting relative movement between the plate and said members for depressing said members.

1'7. Apparatus for engaging, gripping, lifting and replacing standing bowling pins on a bowling alley, comprising, a plate having a plurality of holes corresponding to the number of bowling pins used in a game of bowling, a cone-shaped member slidably positioned over each of the holes of said'plate for engaging, when lowered towards a bowling alley. with the heads of standing bowling pins to position the apices of said cones over the heads of standing bowling pins with which they engage, hinged bowling pin handle gripping arms mounted on each cone-shaped member, the arms mounted on each cone-shaped member facing to a common center and being of a length and upward inclination such that the arms will have a toggle joint action when engaging with the neck of a bowling pin and subjected to the weight of the pin, pin gripper actuating members extending from each of said gripping arms, a gripper operating member, means for moving all of said gripper actuating members and said gripper operating members into contact with each other simultaneously to eifect movement of said gripper actuating members, and mechanism for moving said plate and cones towards and away from a bowling alley to bring said cones into and out of engagement with standing bowling pins.

GOT'IFRIED J. SCHMIDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,486,624 Bajus Mar. 11, 1924 1,584,030 Gray May 11, 1926 2,310,996 Rundell Feb. 16, 1943 2,380,601 Luth 'et a1. July 31, 1945 

